Like Water for Chocolate

One of the most popular Mexican films of all times on the international scale is the 1992 production of Like Water for Chocolate. The film, directed by Alfonso Arau, is based on the 1989 novel of the same name, written by Laura Esquivel.

Taking place during the Mexican Revolution, it tells the love story of Tita and Pedro, who, at a young age, fall in love. When he is of age, he asks for Tita's hand in marriage but is refused by Tita's mother, Elena, who says that the family tradition is that the youngest daughter – in this case, Tita – remains unmarried to care for the mother, until her death. Instead, Tita's mother offers her oldest daughter, Rosaura, for marriage; Pedro accepts, because it will at least help him stay close to his true love, Tita.

For the wedding banquet, Tita is forced to prepare the food and she pours all of her love and passion into her cooking. This love and passion, cooked into the wedding cake, causes an intoxication in the guests that makes them all long for their true love. Tita realizes the power she has with her cooking, and decides that every dish she prepares will be a token of her love for Pedro.

Tita meets and, after the death of her mother, marries an American doctor, named John. Meanwhile, Rosaura and Pedro have a daughter, and Rosaura expresses to Tita that she has every intention of maintaining the family tradition, which becomes yet another point of contention between the two sisters. However, Rosaura dies mysteriously and her daughter is left free to do as she wishes.

It isn't until the very romantic yet tragic end of the film that Pedro and Tita can finally and truly be together, as they always desired.